Northwestern State on Monday announced four new additions to Brad Laird's coaching staff.
Joey Fitzgerald will coach the quarterbacks, Rashad Jackson the wide receivers, Josh Jones the safeties and Kevon Beckwith the defensive line.
"This is a group of great personalities, great family men who will bring new thoughts and ideas to our existing staff," Laird said.
"They have a great knowledge of the game, winning backgrounds from their previous coaching stops and they have a terrific ability to relate to young men – both on and off the field. I could not be prouder to add these four men to the Natchitoches and Northwestern State communities. With their addition to the great coaches and players we have here, we look forward to what the future holds."
All four coaches have previous ties to the area and/or the Southland Conference.
Fitzgerald coached previously at ULM as wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. He also coached wideouts at Southeastern Louisiana, and between those stops spent the 2018 season as a recruiting assistant at Florida. Fitzgerald GA'd under Dan Mullen at Mississippi State in 2013-14.
Jackson spent 2019-20 as the tight ends coach at Arkansas State. He also coached previously at Trinity Valley Community College and spent nine years in a variety of roles at Division II East Central in Oklahoma. He spent this spring coaching in The Spring League.
Jones coached safeties at Arkansas-Pine Bluff and, prior to that, tutored cornerbacks at South Alabama. He spent 2016-17 at Southland rival Central Arkansas. He was an All-American at the Division II level and played professionally in the Arena league.
Beckwith has extended ties to Louisiana, holding two degrees from Louisiana-Lafayette, where he worked as a student assistant and then a GA. He spent 2019-20 as the assistant defensive line coach at Austin Peay.
The Demons begin the season Sept. 4 at North Texas and start Southland play Sept. 25 at Southeastern Louisiana.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.